1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to body supports. In particular it relates to support cushions which are individually adjustable for supporting the neck, head, and low back.
2. Description of Prior Art
Heretofore, support cushions have had varying contours and adjustments to provide support for the varying head, neck and back contours of different individuals. However, head and neck support cushions have generally been designed for use in a supine or sleeping position while support cushions for the back are designed for use when sitting. The need for head, neck and back support is also desireable when resting in a sitting, lying, or semi-recumbent position and when doing exercises on the floor or on strength training machines. In these different body positions the needed amount of head, neck and back support varies. A support cushion therefore ideally needs to be readily adaptable in size and shape for a variety of situations.
Most current methods for adjustment are not conducive for conveniently both increasing and decreasing the size of neck, head and back support for various uses. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,908,894 issued to Sanders in March 1990 establishes the size of the cervical support by cutting a foam pad therefore eliminating the possibility of increasing the size again. Sanders' patent also requires extra pieces to adjust the support behind the head making it inconvenient to change for different postures.
The inflatable support cushions (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 3,602,928 to Helzer in September 1971; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,501,034 to Greenawalt in February 1985) meet this need of convenience through inflation and deflation of the cushion. The problem these cushions present is that they do not hold their shape especially when partially deflated. As pressure is applied to the cushion, the air shifts to other parts of the chambers making it difficult to get the appropriate size and support.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,174,163 to Gibson in March of 1965 also shows an adjustable pillow-roll with a means for adjusting the size of the rolls in the cushion. However, the pillow is designed to adjustably support the sides of the head rather than the back of the head and neck. The holding means for the rolled configurations is also limiting. If the securing straps are in any position other than the bottom side of the spiral roll (i.e., top or side) the roll will either be deformed by the securing straps or the spiral will partially unroll. Therefore the shape and size of the rolls are limited to those in which the securing straps are in the lowest most position in the spiral. The means for holding the rolls is also not conducive for securing the resilient pillow member in a folded configuration. In addition, the securing straps must be disconnected and reconnected to adjust the rolls making them inconvenient.
U.S. Pat No. 4,528,981 to Behar in July of 1985 shows a cervical immobilization device. The device is used to restrain the head and cervical spine between two resilient head support rolls. The distance between the rolls is adjustable by an interconnecting means for fixing the position of the rolls. The means for fixing the positions comprises an interlocking hook and loop fastening fabric being positioned on the straps and about the periphery of the head rolls. However, the head rolls are of a fixed shape and can not be adjusted to support the back of the head and neck.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,297,304 to O'Sullivan is the only support cushion in which the cushion can be readily increased and decreased in size. The support is varied by rolling different amounts of the cushion into a spiral which is secured by complementary strip fastening means attached parallel to the long edge of the cushion on its opposing surfaces. There are several limitations to this design. Due to the positioning of the fastening means, the cushion can only be rolled and secured into a spiral in a direction substantially parallel to its length. The configurations into which the cushion can be shaped is therefore limited. Also, the width of support is limited to the width of the cushion. In contrast, the width of the support needed for a person's head and neck is less than that needed for one's back. Ideally a support cushion would be adaptable to both needs as well as configuring into shapes which accurately contour and support various parts of the body. Another limitation of the support cushion by O'Sullivan is that there is no means for connecting together two or more cushions if a greater length or width is desired. For example, a greater length may be desired so that both the neck and low back can be supported at the same time by a single unit. Another problem with this cushion is in the production. In order for the cushion to be secured in the spiral configuration the complementary strip fastening means on the opposing surfaces must be aligned making it more difficult to manufacture.